TRAC 2026 Webinar: Modeling Neighborhoods in Pompeii: Urban Identity through Radial Distance
Online
Thursday 14th May 2026
TRAC 2026 Webinar - Tuesday 21st April 2026, 17:00 BST
Matthew Selheimer, University of Leicester
Neighborhoods are central to urban social and spatial organization, yet their identification in Pompeii remains unresolved. Augustan Rome was divided into 14 regions and 265 vici, which Pliny the Elder describes as the “crossroads of the Lares”. Pompeii, despite its preservation, offers only fragmentary evidence for direct attribution of vici by name or location, though street altars attributed to the Lares are prevalent. Beyond altars, scholars have proposed city gates, major crossroads, fountains, hypothesized districts, and even electoral notices as possible neighborhood markers. My research applies radial distance analysis, a technique that measures and visualizes distance from central points in all directions to assess boundaries and overlap. Commonly used in urban planning to investigate accessibility and influence zones, I employ this method to evaluate the spatial distribution of altars, gates, potential districts, principal crossroads, piazza-like intersections, fountains, water towers, and hybrid combinations. By visualizing concentric proximity patterns, the analysis highlights how specific urban features may have organized Pompeian neighborhood identities. The findings build on Laurence’s argument that the city’s urban experience was shaped by competing neighborhood forms. However, it is demonstrated that fountains provide the clearest, non-overlapping, citywide pattern of neighborhood demarcation, suggesting they likely functioned as principal focal points of local identity. This is further evidenced by unique anthropomorphic images and symbols carved into the vertical backs above their basins. This study challenges the traditional view that street altars served as the primary markers of vici in both urban administration and quotidian contexts. Ultimately, Roman ‘neighborhoodliness’ was multi-dimensional, intersecting formal administrative practices with less formal, lived geographies. Accordingly, the study promotes radial distance analysis as a valuable tool for assessing the urban fabric of Roman cities and enriching our understanding of how ancient communities defined and experienced neighborhood identity.
Matthew Selheimer is an honorary fellow in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester.
If require any further information, or have any questions about the booking process, please email [email protected]
Matthew Selheimer, University of Leicester
Neighborhoods are central to urban social and spatial organization, yet their identification in Pompeii remains unresolved. Augustan Rome was divided into 14 regions and 265 vici, which Pliny the Elder describes as the “crossroads of the Lares”. Pompeii, despite its preservation, offers only fragmentary evidence for direct attribution of vici by name or location, though street altars attributed to the Lares are prevalent. Beyond altars, scholars have proposed city gates, major crossroads, fountains, hypothesized districts, and even electoral notices as possible neighborhood markers. My research applies radial distance analysis, a technique that measures and visualizes distance from central points in all directions to assess boundaries and overlap. Commonly used in urban planning to investigate accessibility and influence zones, I employ this method to evaluate the spatial distribution of altars, gates, potential districts, principal crossroads, piazza-like intersections, fountains, water towers, and hybrid combinations. By visualizing concentric proximity patterns, the analysis highlights how specific urban features may have organized Pompeian neighborhood identities. The findings build on Laurence’s argument that the city’s urban experience was shaped by competing neighborhood forms. However, it is demonstrated that fountains provide the clearest, non-overlapping, citywide pattern of neighborhood demarcation, suggesting they likely functioned as principal focal points of local identity. This is further evidenced by unique anthropomorphic images and symbols carved into the vertical backs above their basins. This study challenges the traditional view that street altars served as the primary markers of vici in both urban administration and quotidian contexts. Ultimately, Roman ‘neighborhoodliness’ was multi-dimensional, intersecting formal administrative practices with less formal, lived geographies. Accordingly, the study promotes radial distance analysis as a valuable tool for assessing the urban fabric of Roman cities and enriching our understanding of how ancient communities defined and experienced neighborhood identity.
Matthew Selheimer is an honorary fellow in the School of Archaeology and Ancient History at the University of Leicester.
If require any further information, or have any questions about the booking process, please email [email protected]
